PIRACIES
(Contd.)
responsible for the murder of a seaman
21
796
The master and first officer were defended by Mr. Day, and at the request of the Chief Justice, Mr. Kingsmill undertook to watch the case on behalf of the other accused.
According to the Court records, poor prisoners were at liberty to apply to the Court for the provision of counsel and their requests were invariably granted. In these days, counsel is provided only when the prisoner in the dock is charged with murder.
The evidence in the John Wade case disclosed a most revolting series of cruelties perpetrated on the deceased and all the crew: principally by the second mate.
Juries must certainly have been lenient in those days, for, as in the case of Eli Boggs, the jury took a merciful view, acquitting the last two and finding the other three guilty of manslaughter. They were sentenced to transportation for life.
In 1859 Charles Dickens was "Conducting" in London a most interesting magazine entitled All the Year Round.
A special representative of the South China Morning Post in London recently came across a copy, dated April 30, 1859 in which a vivid account of the piracy of the Hong Kong Macao-Canton steamer, Queen was published.
The story of the piracy is contained in an article headed "A Piece of China." The name of the author is not given, but it is stated he received his information from Mr. Osmund Cleverly, the only European who survived.
Here is the story which Charles Dickens' correspondent sent Home after an interview with Mr. Cleverly: "The Queen left Hong Kong one fine morning in February with a mixed crew and passengers, English, Portuguese and Chinese the latter predominating.
"The European passengers had, as usual, sat down to dinner in the saloon, off Lantao, when the Chinese left on deck and about the boat, by a preconcerted movement, suddenly knocked the mate and the man at the wheel on the head, threw them overboard, seized the arms chest which was on the bridge, with its cutlasses and ready-loaded muskets, and began firing down on the passengers.
The Captain (Wynn) and Mr. Cleverly seized their revolvers and rushed up the ladder, The former was cut down as he reached the deck, and falling on the latter, they were both thrown back into the cabin and the hatches were immediately closed by those above, one of whom fell dead into the cabin, by a shot from Mr. Cleverly's revolver.
"Thus closed in a trap, they had nothing to look forward to but to be killed like beasts. The Captain was almost senseless from a sword-cut on his skull; the engineer was undressing rapidly to leap overboard; and the passengers and crew were too panic-stricken to do anything knowing that when the guns of the Chinese were fired they had no means of loading them again, Mr. Cleverly went alone up the ladder with a fresh revolver, and forcing the cabin-door open met his assailants. He was received with their fire, but shot three of them dead. They fell back and emboldened by this he was advancing, when a musket-ball went through his thigh, smashing the bone. He again fell down back into the cabin, and the captain, seeing this said "Then all is over, sir. Here, take my revolver, and God bless you! We shall never meet again." then stumbled to the stern-port and threw himself into the sea, followed by the engineer. The Chinese fired after them, and they were never seen again.
"Mr. Cleverly now bound up his broken leg, and was limping to the aft cabin, when another volley from the deck was sent after him, followed by a Chinese yell of victory, as they rushed towards the saloon. Certain there was no chance left, he seized one of the
Page 220
Page 221